Penjikent
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Penjikent

Penjikent

Tajik town near Samarkand, with nearby ruins from the old Sogdian centre of Ancient Penjikent.

Substantially closer to Samarkand than to Dushanbe, Penjikent was the old centre of the Sogdian empire. Around the modern town and in its museum you will find remains of this pre-Islamic civilisation.

The ruins of Ancient Penjikent sit on a hill just outside town, overlooking the valley. You can wander the site freely without being bothered. There are almost no explanatory signs, but if you are lucky there will be excavators at work — usually students from St. Petersburg who are very willing to explain what they have found and what they are digging for. Fifteen kilometres west of town, the older Sarazm site — a 5,500-year-old proto-urban settlement now on UNESCO's list — is a worthwhile detour.

The Rudaki Museum holds Soviet memorabilia and stuffed animals alongside genuinely impressive finds from the excavations: wall paintings from the 5th century with faded but recognisable colours and hunting scenes.

You can also do good treks in the surrounding Fan Mountains, with the Seven Lakes a classic three-day route. Penjikent is usually visited as a day trip from Samarkand, but you can also arrange the trip yourself. Some travellers have reportedly entered on an Uzbek visa without a separate Tajik visa — the border guards tend to be friendly and don't see many tourists, so you are something of a novelty.

Guide

Getting There

The most common way to come here is from Samarkand. It is only 60 km and there are buses to the border, as well as taxis. Neither of those actually crosses the border, so arrange to be dropped at the Jartepa border post and find onward transport on the Tajik side. This shouldn't cause too many problems, except maybe when you arrive at the end of the day — the border closes around 6 PM and shared taxis dry up shortly after.

From the east, shared taxis run from Dushanbe to Penjikent in about five hours over the Anzob Tunnel and the Shahristan Pass — a spectacular but slow trip. The fare is around 200-250 somoni. There is also a small airport at Penjikent with sporadic domestic flights to Dushanbe; check Tajik Air for current schedules.

Guide

Things to Do

Penjikent is a small town that earns its place on the map through two archaeological sites: the ruined Sogdian city on the hill above the modern centre, and Sarazm — a 5,500-year-old proto-urban settlement and UNESCO World Heritage Site — fifteen kilometres west. Both reward a slow visit. The Rudaki museum in town does a decent job of putting the finds in context, with everything else to be admired in Dushanbe and Saint Petersburg.

Beyond the archaeology, the Fan Mountains start a few kilometres south of town — the most accessible serious trekking in Tajikistan, with the seven turquoise lakes of Marguzor a popular three-day circuit. The market and tea houses of the town centre are pleasant places to spend a slow afternoon between hikes.